Tips for finding cheap flights

Wednesday

Jun 14, 2017 at 1:01 AM

Deena Bouknight More Content Now

In what seems like ancient times, travelers either telephoned one of a few airlines and actually spoke to a reservation agent to book a flight, or a travel agent was hired to handle details. Not so much anymore.

The internet zoomed the airline industry to new heights. Computers, tablets and phones are now used to search and search for the very cheapest and best flights. The wealth of information is great, but where to start?

Money magazine indicated in January that the airline industry is in decent financial shape due to a number of factors, including lower fuel costs and profitable additional fees. Thus, rates have dropped, but the magazine warns the trend might not last. Consumers need to move on cheap flights.

The publication suggests: Book at least two months in advance, look at what the little guys — like Spirit and Frontier — offer first, fly during the week, and accumulate and use airline miles. Investigating frequent flyer programs — who offers what, when and how — can result in time well spent. Airline credit card holders can rack up miles for purchases, for example.

There is also a maze of airline ticket sites touting cheap flights. Most provide alerts and updates pointing to the newest deals. To find a path through, select a few that are easy to navigate. Be aware of any hidden costs for using the site or booking through the site. Some reliable sites include Airfare Watchdog, Google Flights and Momondo, according to thepointsguy.com.

Deals site Travelzoo advises to search for tickets one at a time, search for two one-way flights instead of round trips, grab a great price when it is found, and do not shy away from long layovers if time is not a consideration.

Cheap flights are out there; it is simply a matter of planning ahead and being aware.